PT Money » Give Money

On Saving and Giving

Guest — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:30:43 +0000

America’s Response to Haiti

The world has paused and been shaken to its moral core as we see such graphic and haunting images of the suffering that continues in Haiti’s earthquake aftermath. I feel proud to be an American seeing how the entire country has rallied behind another country’s unfair misfortune.

Americans have been galvanized as evidenced by the outpouring of generosity on fundraisers such as Larry King’s celebrity telethon, which raised nearly $9 million in two hours. This got me thinking about how we can incorporate giving into our budgets and use this spirit of charity as a defining moment to teach our kids about giving as well.

The Giving Power of the U.S.

As Americans, we forget that we are still the richest country in the world, even in a bum economy and with all of our job losses. According to the World Bank, approximately 2.8 billion or nearly half of the world’s population lives off of just $1 per day. Clearly, they aren’t living, which is why nearly 800 million are hungry every day with no food at all.

Spend Less and Give More

What if we used this spotlight in Haiti as an opportunity to self-sacrifice on a daily basis for charity. What I mean is, let’s think of ways we can save money regularly and then give that money to someone in need. For example,

Bringing Lean Cuisine to work for lunch instead of spending 10 bucks at the neighborhood Chinese buffet. Consider it a type of paying it forward. I sponsor a World Vision child by doing this a couple times a month and the rewards have been so gratifying.
There are plenty of other non profit organizations that cater to the needs of children and their families here and abroad that have longstanding reputations free from any scandal.

Sponsoring a child in another country can be a great educational tool for your own children as well. Most organizations provide letters and updates and allow you to send care packages and correspondence to your child. Having your own kids think about their “sister” or “brother” in a third world country and seeing the impact that their American dollar can make on changing a child’s life is a deep character building experience that breeds compassion, understanding and deepens a child’s sense of self beyond their small world.

Recycling can be another way to save in order to give. Consider using the extra dollars you get from your cans and bottles to not only save Mother Earth, but her children too.

We are so fortunate in the U.S. to have access to things that we take for granted like running clean water, plenty of food resources and safe infrastructure that we can’t pass up the opportunity to bring life-changing resources to others, just by saving a little bit of our own hard-earned change for the good of humanity.

This is a guest contribution from Karen, a frugal writer.

Photo by United Nations Development Programme

Spending Less on Gifts in 2010

Guest — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:52:45 +0000

Like nearly every other budget-conscious American, this year my husband and I have made a commitment to spend less and save more. While often easier said than done, I am most excited about my latest line item to tackle—gifts, gifts and more gifts. From birthdays to baby showers, these fun but all to frequent expenses can add up.

So, I have thought of a few ways to ensure that you and I, the givers, can always be cheerful and our recipients can be delighted even with the most modest of budgets.

Give From the Heart: Adding a personal touch to a gift can be an affordable alternative to an expensive trip to the department store. All it requires is some thought about the person and your relationship to them. Personal gifts like making someone’s favorite dessert or dish is a thoughtful and often unexpected way to say I love you to a family member or friend. I recently made Southern Blackberry Cobbler for my husband during the holidays and it brought back fond memories for him of his deceased grandmother, who would make the dish for him as a child.

Framing a recent picture of you with that special person is also a wonderful keepsake. Include an intimate note of appreciation, detailing how grateful you are for them. Don’t rely on Hallmark to say it for you, say it from the heart and that note will make more of an impression that friend than all of the other gifts from Bloomingdale’s.

Make it Pretty: Making gifts does not have to look any less polished than a purchased gift either. Pretty, decorative and creative packaging can go a long way in complimenting a less expensive homemade gift, especially if the recipient is a woman. We go gah-gah over bows, frilly accents and fun containers. My favorite store for fabulous packaging is The Dollar Store!

Buy in Bulk: Nope, this doesn’t just apply to shopping at Sam’s and Costco. Buying gifts in advance and when you see them on sale is a great way to have gifts on hand for any occasion and to save money. For example, I started a gifts pantry, where I keep a modest inventory of gift-giving items, from lotions to stationary to candles. I find great items at Michael’s, which has fragrant candles, beautiful note cards and fun trinkets like personalized stamps, and decorative journals. Another favorite is buying luxury lotions from Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secrets when they have their 6 for $30 deals. I stock up on all my girlfriends’ favorite scents for their birthdays.

With a little creativity and planning, you can keep your per person gift budget to a minimum, so that when there are occasions where being frugal may be difficult (i.e. wedding registries and baby showers) you have the extra money to go the extra mile.

This is a guest contribution from Karen, a frugal writer.

How To Donate To The Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort

PT — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:00:02 +0000

This is being republished with permission from Kyle from Amateur Asset Allocator. Thanks, Kyle!

Here’s How You Can Help

Here are a few reputable charity organizations in the thick of the action. I encourage you to seek out other donation opportunities, but also caution that some greedy thieves will attempt to take advantage of your sympathy and syphon well-meaning donations away from the relief effort for their own personal gain. It’s sad, but that’s life. Be sure to check out any charity you’re thinking of donating to. All of the following charities are large, reputable, and very well-known. They are also registered 501(c)(3) charities, meaning your donations are 100% tax-deductible.

Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund - Donate online at this site or text YELE to 501501 to automatically donate $5. The $5 charge will appear on your phone bill. This is the fund set up by Wyclef Jean, an popular musician and Haiti native.

American Red Cross – You can donate to the American Red Cross online on their donation page. Be sure to choose “disaster relief” if you want your money to go towards Haitian relief (and the relief of upcoming disasters, wherever they may be). You can also donate $10 directly to the Haitian relief fund by texting HAITI to 90999.

UNICEF USA Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund – You can donate through UNICEF via their online donation form. UNICEF’s relief efforts focus on children.

Partners In Health – You can donate to Partners In Health’s Stand With Haiti fund via their online donation page.

Remember, the need doesn’t end when the relief workers start coming home in the next few days. That’s when it just beings.

More info on other PF Blogs:

@Four Pillars: Please Donate To Haiti Earthquake Victims
@Million Dollar Journey: Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help
@No Debt Plan: Save Ways To Help Haiti
@Cash Money Life – How You Can Help the Relief Efforts in Haiti
@Consumerism Commentary – Safe Donations To The Victims Of The Earthquake In Haiti
@College for 10K – Help Haiti

Flip Camera Winners and $100 for Doctors Without Borders

PT — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:59:51 +0000

Just a quick announcement post to share the results of the Amex Charge Card Flip Ultra Video Camera Giveaway as well as the results of the readers’ choice charity fantasy football challenge over at Cash Money Life:

Winners of the 10 Flip Video Cameras

There were a ton of excellent comments (169) and well over 300 retweets about the giveaway. Thanks to everyone that participated.

The winners from the comments:

The Proverbswife
Ryan P
Kay
Doreen
Jeff@MySuperChargedLife

The winners from Twitter:

@onemoneydesign
@domesticcents
@figalicious
@junkytrinket
@desiree_allen

I will be contacting all the winners to mail the cameras.

A big thanks to American Express Charge Card services for providing the cameras and for providing them to PT Money.

$100 for Doctor’s without Borders

The readers over at Cash Money Life selected Doctors Without Borders as their charity of choice. Therefore, as promised, Patrick and I donated $100 each to this charity.

More about Doctors Without Borders:

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971.

Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.

In 1999, MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Seems as if the money will be put to good use.

Writing My First E-book: Saving to Give

PT — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:07:24 +0000

This week I’m busy writing my first e-book. I’m really excited about finishing it soon and sharing it with you guys. It’s going to focus around the idea of saving more of your income, so that you can do more giving. The working title is:

Saving to Give: Learn the 4 steps to improve your finances so you can improve the lives of others.

It will be geared toward those of us with an income and a desire to make a positive impact on the world. The book will hopefully be a quick, easy read full of specific action steps you can follow to help you save more and give more. It will also be free.

Get an advanced copy of Saving to Give. I recently soft-launched the PT Money Newsletter. I’m not done setting it all up, but it will one day include exclusive content and giveaways, video tutorials, access to other projects, and more. If you join the free newsletter now, you’ll be the first to check out the e-book, which I’m hoping to launch within a week.

What are your thoughts about the e-book idea? Do you have any interest in reading it? What do you think of the title? The cover art? I’d love to get your feedback this week as I’m finalizing the draft.

Carnivals from last week…

debt redux, taxes, twenties, hacks, pecuniary, frugality, economy

5 Gifts That Will Bring Your Family Together This Christmas

PT — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:35:56 +0000

Is your family in need of more quality time? Here are 5 gifts you could give your family this Christmas that are sure to lead to more time together:

A Tent

Camping is one of my favorite frugal family activities. A nice, solid tent is a necessity when it comes to heading outdoors. Surprise the family with a new tent this Christmas and make plans to hit up your nearest state park as soon as the weather permits.

New Board Game

Let me be the first to introduce you to Ticket to Ride. I’ve been meaning to do a full-blown review of this game I am now addicted to: Ticket to Ride. It’s a fast-paced strategy game that’s also a bit of a geography lesson.

There are several different versions, but I’ve heard the best is the Marklin (German) edition. This just happens to be the one I’ve played. It’s more pricey than traditional board games, but it will give you hours of fun with your family. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

A New Pet

They’re a big responsibility, and not to be purchased without fully thinking it through, but a new pet will give your family someone to rally around. It will also help to get you more active. Taking the dog for a walk could become a nightly tradition for you and your kids. A new pet is a great way to teach responsibility to your kids.

Not ready to commit to a new pet? Take a trip this Christmas down to your local pet shelter and volunteer for a while.

An Interactive Music Video Game

Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the most notable here. “Hey, check out Mom on the drums?” When else are you going to get to say that? I’ve had a great time playing these interactive video games with my family for hours. I just wish there was a version with a set of songs that everyone in the family knew.

Shop for an Angel

The gifts don’t all have to be about receiving. Helping someone else out during the Christmas season is always a great idea. It’s also something your entire family should get involved in. Head down to your nearest Angel Tree and choose and angel for your family, or have each of your family members pick out an angel. Each angel will have the name and age of a boy or girl in need of some Christmas love. Contact your local Salvation Army to find an angel tree near you.

—

Looking for a more frugal gift to give? Try one of these 50 Frugal Gifts You Can Give This Christmas.

Poverty in the United States – Blog Action Day 2008

PT — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:09:14 +0000

Blog Action Day 2008 is today, October 15th. Thousands of other bloggers across the world are writing on the same issue today: poverty. Why? Simply to raise awareness of the problem and get a discussion going.

In my mind, like many issues, the problems here in the States get lost in the discussion of poverty. A quick fact to give you perspective:

Poverty in the United States is cyclical in nature with roughly 12% to 16% living below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% falling below the poverty line at some time within a 10 year time span.

The facts are that a lot of people in the U.S. are poor…somewhere around 35 million. I think if we solved our poverty issues in the States, as a stronger Nation we could then help to solve some of the World’s massive poverty issues.

So, can poverty in the U.S. be “solved”? And if it can, what is the solution? Government programs? Education? Food? (it’s hard to believe people are going without enough food here in the U.S., but they are)

I encourage you to check out my friends in the Money Life Network, who stepped up today and have shared some great posts on poverty:

Causes of Poverty at Free From Broke.
Various Poverty Topics at MIB Smarter Money.
Images of Poverty at Remodeling This Life.
Poverty and Micro Loans through Kiva at Bible Money Matters.

If you’d like to give to an organization that’s involved with solving poverty, the Blog Action Day website suggests Heifer International.

Automated Tithing: A New Way to Give

PT — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:05 +0000

The long wallet is long gone. I don’t carry a checkbook anymore. I stick to cash and credit/debit cards for making daily purchases. Still, there’s one place I always end up needing my checkbook: at Church, at least once a month, for tithing. With all we have going on these days, it’s sometimes an after thought to remember to bring your checkbook to Church. I thought I’d take a moment to examine some of the ways we could simplify the tithing process and ensure we give consistently and on time each month. After all, I make most of my other payments automatically; why not do the same with tithing?

Auto-Withdrawal (or Bank Draft)

Most Churches will sign you up for auto-withdrawal. This is where you fill out a form, which includes your bank routing and account number, your specified contribution % or amount, and an attached voided check. The Church then hands your info over to their bank who handles the rest.

Other Online Systems

Beside the traditional auto-withdrawal method, there are online based third party systems that will handle it all for the Church. eGiving Systems appears to be one of the leaders in this arena. See more at eGivingSystems.org.

Online Bill Pay

Use your bank’s online bill payment system to send recurring checks to your Church. Just make sure this is a free option and that your Church will know what to do with the check. It might be a good idea to speak with them about this first.

Automated Tithing Machines

Yes, some Churches apparently have Automated Tithing Machines (“ATMs”) that allow you to use your debit/credit card to give right there in the Church lobby. Not really automated in the sense I’m writing about, but it sure is convenient and pretty cool.

I could see myself doing this on those Sundays that I forget my checkbook, as long as the machines wouldn’t charge me a transaction fee. If your Church doesn’t have one, consider asking them to have one set up. See more at SecureGive.com. From their website:

“The Secure Give system is built around a giving kiosk that features a touch screen monitor, a magnetic stripe reader, a receipt printer, a secure encrypted PIN pad, and an enclosure. When the donor steps up to the giving kiosk, he or she will be led through a simple menu that will enable the contributor to donate to your ministry or your non-profit organization.”

That’s pretty cool. Would you tithe through one of these “ATMs”?

Not Ready for Auto-Tithe?

For many reasons, setting up some sort of automatic tithing might not be the right thing for you. For instance, (1) you may have irregular income; (2) you may want to “feel” the act of tithing by physically writing out a check or handing over cash (nothing wrong with that); or (3) you may just not be comfortable with the whole automatic transaction thing.

If that’s the case, here’s your solution: simply leave your checkbook next to your Bible or in your car (make sure your car is garaged if you do this). You might even consider tearing a few checks out of the checkbook and placing them directly in the pages of your Bible.

—

For more on tithing, check out the series “The Bible and Tithing: to Give or Not to Give” over at Bible Money Matters (where this post was originally shared).

Man vs. Debt, Blockbuster Total Access, eGiving, and Movies on the Cheap

PT — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:42:42 +0000

My Favorite Posts from Last Year (May 2007)

Man vs. Debt – I still watch this show (Man vs. Wild) every week. One of my favorites. This upcoming documentary looks promising as well.

Blockbuster Online – Should You Try It? – I’ve moved on to using Redbox and TheNewRelease if at all possible, but you can read this article for a review of the Blockbuster Online service if you’re considering it.

eGiving – A New Way to Tithe - We still haven’t signed up for eGiving at our Church. For now, it’s easier for us to just bring the ole checkbook. But if you’re looking to streamline your tithing, check this article out.

Go to the Movies – Money Saving Tips – This was one of my favorite early articles on living frugally while still enjoying some entertainment options.

Vote Now and Help Me Win $500 for Samaritan’s Purse

PT — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:48:09 +0000

*Beware: Shameless Plug for Charity*

Please visit this page at Free Money Finance and place your vote in the comments for “Things”, which is my post on automatic savings and bill payment. It’s down to 32 posts in the March Madness tourney and I’m up against some solid competition from Cash Money Life with a post on A Penny Saved is Worth More Than a Penny Earned.

Remember the competition is for $500 towards the charity of your choice. I’m playing for Samaritan’s Purse. Now go vote! Thanks!